Has the heart and the spirit of the original game, while offering a fresh reimagining of it.

While I do feel like the original had more of a psychological horror aspect—outstanding sound design with excellent use of 'oppressive silence', terror of the unseen, janky experience and voice acting that added more towards the eerie atmosphere)—this version shifts slightly towards a more visceral approach—speaking of which! Otherworld hospital? Abstract Daddy level?? My god, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ gorgeous. The Otherworld designs reminded me more of SH1 and/or SH3 than it did SH2, not complaining since SH3 remains to be my favorite of the franchise, but again reinforces the idea on me that they strayed a bit from the original's vibe, especially with all the extra combat.

Of course, I can't expect a remake to fully replicate the experience of the first, especially since the original came to be with the artistic decisions made because of the technical limitations of its time (and is something I view with emotionally charged nostalgia colored glasses), and with modern day graphics they can do so much more (I do still wish there was less combat). As a remake, I think Bloober did a remarkable job, my favorite sections being exploring the streets at night, Abstract Daddy, and the Labyrinth section, It'll never replace the original in my heart, but it has definitely carved its own special place in it as a fresh perspective on the original.

Fantastic game. Play the original first, then play this.